Cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms among individuals with history of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection: a retrospective longitudinal study.

Abstract

To identify the main cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms in adults who had no cognitive complaints prior to the infection. Specifically, to observe the trajectory of cognitive and neuropsychiatric performance after 6 months. This is a retrospective longitudinal study. Forty-nine patients (29 reassessed after 6 months), with a positive PCR test, with no prior cognitive complaints that only presented after the infection and without a history of structural, neurodegenerative or psychiatric neurological diseases. A brief cognitive assessment battery (MoCA), the Trail Making Test (TMT-A, B, ∆), and the Verbal Fluency Test were used, as well as the scales (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-HADS, Fatigue Severity Scale-FSS). Correlation tests and group comparison were used for descriptive and inferential statistics. Level of significance of α=5%. Mean age of 50.4 (11.3), 12.7 (2.8) years of education, higher percentage of women (69.8%). No psycho-emotional improvement (depression and anxiety) was observed between the evaluations, and patients maintained the subjective complaint of cognitive changes. The HAD-Anxiety scale showed a significant correlation with TMT-B errors. The subgroup participating in cognitive stimulation and psychoeducation showed improvement in the global cognition measure and the executive attention test. Our results corroborate other studies that found that cognitive dysfunctions in post-COVID-19 patients can persist for months after disease remission, as well as psycho-emotional symptoms, even in individuals with mild infection. Future studies, with an increase in casuistry and control samples, are necessary for greater evidence of these results.